The Apple Watch was announced with a vague release date of "early 2015," but reports now claim that mass production of the device will begin in January with Quanta Computer as its exclusive manufacturer.

BGR.com reported via Taiwan's Apple Daily that Quanta has begun a hiring spree ahead of the ramp-up, and that under the terms of the production contract it will be barred from manufacturing smartwatches for any competing brands.

With production starting in January, previous reports that Apple was considering a Valentine's Day launch in mid-February are still viable, but of course not a single aspect of these reported timelines have been confirmed by the company itself. A February launch is a safe bet, as few companies introduce consumer products in January, when customer bank accounts are drained from the holiday season.

Many analysts were disappointed that Apple wouldn't have the device ready in time for the holiday shopping season, but others have said that the wait time will give Apple a chance to hype the device and ensure appetites are sufficiently piqued heading into the launch. Likewise, the watch won't have to compete with other products the way it would in the fall.

Apple is currently showing off the watch prototype at the Colette boutique during Paris Fashion Week in its first public preview. The aluminum Apple Watch Sport Collection, the mid-range Apple Watch Collection, and 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition Collection will be on display for one day only.

Jony Ive and Marc Newson of Apple were on site for the promotion, with iconic fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, Vogue's Anna Wintour, and Sarah Andelman of Colette joining in for a cameo at the store.

The Apple Watch was announced with a vague release date of "early 2015," but reports now claim that mass production of the device will begin in January with Quanta Computer as its exclusive manufacturer.